Manchester United shocked as a star player is ready to transfer this January.
TeamTalk, a well-known football media outlet, reported that Lisandro Martinez, the Argentine defender for "the Red Devils" Manchester United, is open to moving to "the Blaugrana" Barcelona, the La Liga giants, during the upcoming January transfer window.
Martinez sparked controversy within Manchester United following their 0-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on 13 October, targeting the club's board—especially technical director Jason Wilcox—for not investing sufficiently in player reinforcements during the past transfer window. This has left the squad under Michael Carrick's management lacking quality and performing poorly this season. Recently, they lost 0-2 away to Chelsea, dropping to 17th in the Premier League, with Martinez receiving a red card that became a turning point in the match.
Recent reports indicate that Martinez is aware of Barcelona's interest in signing him this January, and he is also willing to join the Catalan club.
Martinez's contract with Manchester United expires in June next year, but the Red Devils have an option to extend it by one year. It remains unclear how much United will demand for Martinez’s transfer fee, which may not be very high given the 28-year-old's significant drop in form this season.
Barcelona manager Hans-Dieter Flick is currently seeking an experienced center-back to compete with Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martí. He views Martinez as a suitable candidate due to his World Cup-winning experience with the Argentine national team.